for those who love good prose...
Suprose aims to encourage and support literature, authors, books and audiences of SA prose. Think of this as a watering hole where conversations begin and friendships develop.

What is Suprose?

Welcome to Suprose.

Why Su-prose? "Su" in Sanskrit is a prefix for "good". This is a place where we will discuss and analyze prose (with a South Asian Connection) - that which is good, awesome, excellent, and maybe rant about prose that could be better.

Whether you love prose, are a prose expert, or want to learn more about prose, or to put it simply want to have anything to do with prose, this blog is for you.

Monday, September 29, 2014

When I saw the title "Cowboys and East Indians" show up on a a friends Facebook timeline, I was instantly drawn to it. It fascinated me on several levels, and I wanted to find out more about this author, Nina McConigley who was born in Singapore and grew up in Wyoming.

Nina Mc Conigley

And then a few days later her book arrived in the mail. I picked it up immediately skimmed through the pages, and then went back to read the first line, which began - "We were the wrong kind of Indians living in Wyoming."I was hooked. It comes as no surprise to me that Nina's short story collection Cowboys and East Indians, is the 2014 PEN Open Book Award winner. Nina holds an MFA from the University of Houston and an MA from the University of Wyoming. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Orion, Salon, Virginia Quarterly Review, American Short Fiction, and The Asian American Literary Review among others. She lives in Laramie, Wyoming and teaches at the University of Wyoming. Suprose is honored to feature Nina Swamidoss McConigley on this Tête-à-Tête series.

Tell us about your foray into creative writing? How did you get here?I think the way many writers do – I wrote a lot as a kid, and then wrote a lot in a journal as a teenager. In college, I tried a lot of other majors, but always came back to English (I am a big reader) and then to writing. But post-college, I worked for an insurance company. It sealed the deal I wasn’t good at a desk job (although writing is a pretty big desk job…).

What has been your biggest takeaway, living as the "wrong kind of Indian" as you so beautifully put it, in the rural west?I don’t know what I have taken away per se, but I certainly have subsequently spent a lot of time thinking about identity and what forms our identity – is it land or our parents, or both?

Describe your writing style, is it structured or does it change from project to project?The story collection and a lot of stories that weren’t in the book up until recently were my recent projects. So my style I would say is rather simple. I love Laura Ingalls Wilder, and mostly because she is so simple and not sentimental. I strive for that. I wish I was a more lyrical writer, but I am not.

The novel has allowed me to have more space to wander – which I am not sure if that is a curse or a blessing!

What do you like most about the process of creative writing?Just making sense of the world around me. My writing is the only way I know how to do that.

Who are some authors you read growing up?

A lot of British writers. I devoured Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie. I also love LM Montgomery, and of course, Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Later, I studied in Oxford, and only read books by the Romantics or the Victorians. I was quite obsessed by Vanity Fair.What are some books on your nightstand, that are waiting to be read?FIND ME by Laura van den berg, IF THE TABLOIDS ARE TRUE WHAT ARE YOU, by Matthea Harvey, and I cannot wait for Citizen by Claudia Rankine.

Which authors do you go to for solace and inspiration?I worked at Tara Books in Chennai, and I find every one of their books to be inspiring and comforting. Especially their books done by Gond artists.

What are some favorite things to do, when you hit a writer’s block?Walk on the prairie. And honestly, I am a much more of a binge-y writer. So I often have long periods that I am not working. So in that time, I think, I read, I watch movies and look at art. I try to just let the story marinate.

What do you think makes a good writer?Doing the work. Supporting others. Reading books widely. And writing even when you hear no all the time!

The publishing marketplace is getting more and more challenging, what have your experiences been?It’s hard. It’s lovely if you can sign with an agent who will really go to bat for you. That helps so much. But perhaps it’s naïve to think this –but I do believe if you are writing good work, it will find a home. It may be hard and not in the form you expected – but the world wants great work. My book was rejected 20 + times, and it’s done okay!Please tell us about you works in progress, and what's next for you?Working on a novel. It’s set in 1980’s Wyoming, involves two families living together, and a murder!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

See these pictures of blind, and some deaf, mute and blind students learning to play tennis?

Yes, you heard me right, deaf, mute and blind kids, playing tennis at the famed Perkins School For The Blind in Newton, MA I was bowled over by the determination, focus and the concentration of these students who had signed up for these lessons.

Credit: Visi Tilak

I wrote an article about this for the Wall Street Journal, it can be found here.

Credit: Visi Tilak

The big lesson I learnt here, was to never say I cannot do it. Anyone can do anything they set their heart and soul to. Determination, hard work and perseverance is what gets you there.

So when you embark on that path, walk with the confidence and determination, knowing that if you try hard enough you can get to your goal, no matter what obstacles lie in your way!